Annas Presentation

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Annas Presentation

• Book 6

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• Introduction to the Bahai Faith
• The Bahai Faith is a world religion whose
  purpose is to unite all the races and peoples in
  one universal Cause and one common Faith
• Bahais are the followers of Bahaullah, Who
  they believe is the Promised One of all Ages. As
  you know, the traditions of almost every people
  include the promise of a future when peace and
  harmony will be established on earth and
  humankind will live in prosperity. We believe
  that the promised hour has come and that
  Bahaullah is the great Personage Whose
  Teachings will enable humanity to build a new
  world.
• In one of His Writings, Bahaullah says  

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• The Bahai Faith is a world religion whose
  purpose is to unite all the races and peoples in
  one universal Cause and one common Faith

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• That which the Lord hath ordained as the
  sovereign remedy and mightiest instrument for the
  healing of all the world is the union of all its
  peoples in one universal Cause, one common
  Faith.

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• If it is all right with you, the first of
  Bahaullahs Teachings I would like to share is
  about
•  
• God and Our Relationship with Him
• Bahaullah teaches that God is unknowable in His
  Essence. This means that we should not make
  images of God in our mind, thinking of Him, for
  example, as a man. In general, that which has
  been created cannot understand its creator. For
  instance, a table cannot understand the nature of
  the carpenter who made it. The carpenters
  existence is totally incomprehensible to the
  objects he makes.
• God is the Creator of all things and the reason
  behind our creation is love.
•  

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• Bahaullah teaches that God is unknowable in
  His Essence. This means that we should not make
  images of God in our mind, thinking of Him, for
  example, as a man. In general, that which has
  been created cannot understand its creator. For
  instance, a table cannot understand the nature of
  the carpenter who made it. The carpenters
  existence is totally incomprehensible to the
  objects he makes.

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• O SON OF MAN!
• I loved thy creation, hence I created thee.
  Wherefore, do thou love Me, that I may name thy
  name and fill thy soul with the spirit of life.
•  

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• So, although Gods existence is far beyond our
  understanding, His love touches our lives and our
  beings ceaselessly. The way this love flows to us
  is through His Eternal Covenant.
• The Eternal Covenant- God never leaves us alone
  and without Guidance when humanity moves away
  from God and forgets His Teachings, a
  Manifestation of God appears and makes Gods Will
  and Purpose known to us. The word manifest
  means to reveal- to bring forth something that
  was not known before the Manifestations of God
  reveal the Word and Will of God and to listen to
  Them is to respond to the Call of God.
• There is an example from the physical world that
  helps us to understand the concept of
  Manifestation as taught by Bahaullah. In
  this world, the sun is the source of all warmth
  and light, without which life would not exist on
  the planet. Yet the sun itself does not descend
  to earth, and if we tried to approach it, we
  would be totally consumed.
•  
•  

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• So, although Gods existence is far beyond our
  understanding, His love touches our lives and our
  beings ceaselessly. The way this love flows to us
  is through His Eternal Covenant.

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• But suppose we take a well-polished mirror and
  point it towards the sun. In it we will see the
  image of the sun, and the more perfectly polished
  the mirror, the more perfect the image will be.
  The Manifestations of God are like perfect
  Mirrors that reflect the Light of God in all its
  Splendor. And all these Mirrors reflect the same
  Light. While God is beyond our reach, these
  perfect Beings come to us from time to time, live
  among us, give us guidance, and fill us with the
  energy we need to progress, materially and
  spiritually
• Inquire about belief in God. What Manifestation
  or Messenger is your spiritual guide? Could
  have been raised according to the Teachings sent
  by God to humanity some two thousand years ago
  through His Manifestation, Christ, Whose Station
  is that of the Son of God.
• Now I can introduce you to the Teachings of a new
  Manifestation, Bahaullah, Whose title means the
  Glory of God.

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• What do you believe?
• Who is your spiritual guide?

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• Bahaullahs Teachings are in perfect harmony
  with the Teachings of Christ (or other Messenger)
  but address the condition of humanity today
• Invitation to think about plight of humanity
  today the time is right for another
  Manifestation of God to have appeared
• Quotation from Bahaullah that speaks about the
  Day in which we live
• Time to discuss any questions What do you
  think about what I have said up to now?

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• What does the plight of humanity look like to
  you?
• How do you think it could be changed?
• Why?

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• This is the Day in which God's most excellent
  favors have been poured out upon men, the Day in
  which His most mighty grace hath been infused
  into all created things. It is incumbent upon all
  the peoples of the world to reconcile their
  differences, and, with perfect unity and peace,
  abide beneath the shadow of the Tree of His care
  and loving-kindness.
•  

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The Aim of the Bahai Faith To Unify Humanity

•  
• In the Bahai Teachings we are told that we are
  the fruits of one tree and the leaves of one
  branch- although we differ physically,
  emotionally and we have different talents and
  capacities- we all spring from the same root we
  all belong to the same human family
• Humanity can be likened to a vast garden in which
  grow side by side flowers of every form, color
  and perfume. The charm and beauty of the garden
  lie in this diversity. We should not allow the
  differences that exist among us- in our physical
  characteristics, our temperaments, our
  backgrounds, our thoughts and opinions- to give
  rise to conflict and strife. We should see the
  members of the human race as beautiful flowers
  growing in the garden of humanity and rejoice in
  belonging to this garden.

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• Although we differ physically, emotionally and we
  have different talents and capacities- we all
  spring from the same root we all belong to the
  same human family

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• Although the oneness of humankind is an
  undeniable truth, the peoples of the world are so
  far from it that unifying them is no easy task
• If you choose to join the Bahai community- you
  will participate with the rest of us in our
  efforts to build and maintain unity
• We are all striving to bring our thoughts and
  actions in line with our belief in the oneness of
  humankind
• We are told that, when a thought of war enters
  our minds, we should immediately replace it with
  a thought of peace. When a feeling of hatred
  begins to take shape in our hearts, we should
  immediately replace it with a feeling of love.
• We should do everything possible to overcome our
  prejudices prejudices of race, color,
  nationality, culture, religion and sex are among
  the greatest obstacles to building a better world

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• We are told that, when a thought of war enters
  our minds, we should immediately replace it with
  a thought of peace. When a feeling of hatred
  begins to take shape in our hearts, we should
  immediately replace it with a feeling of love.

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• So many passages in the Bahai Writings teach us
  how to walk in the ways of unity and how to help
  other take the same path
• There is a wonderful passage from one of the
  talks of Abdul-Baha, of Whom I will speak later,
  which I have memorized. He says

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• Bahá'u'lláh has drawn the circle of unity, He
  has made a design for the uniting of all the
  peoples, and for the gathering of them all under
  the shelter of the tent of universal unity. This
  is the work of the Divine Bounty, and we must all
  strive with heart and soul until we have the
  reality of unity in our midst, and as we work, so
  will strength be given unto us.

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Bahaullahs Life 

• He was born in 1817 in Tihran, the capital of
  Iran
• From His early childhood, He showed signs of
  greatness
• He received some instruction at home, but did not
  attend school, for He was endowed with innate
  knowledge from God
• Bahaullah came from a noble family when He was
  a young man He was offered a high position in the
  court of the King, but refused it- dedicating His
  time instead to helping the oppressed, the sick
  and the poor and to championing the cause of
  justice
• Will focus on two aspects of Bahaullahs Life
  in particular the suffering He endured and the
  tremendous influence He had on the hearts and
  minds of peopleà these two aspects characterize
  the lives of all the Manifestations of God
•  

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• Bahaullahs sufferings began the moment He
  arose to proclaim the Cause of God- He lived a
  life of exile, imprisonment and persecution He
  was put in chains in a dark and dismal dungeon in
  Tihran He was exiled four times from land to
  land until finally being sent to the Prison City
  of Akka in the Ottomon Empire
• His sufferings were so intense in Akka that He
  referred to Akka as the Most Great Prison. In
  one of His Tablets, we read
• Read first quote
• Before second quote One of my favorite passages
  from the Bahai Writings. Read what Bahaullah
  has said about His sufferings 

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• Remember My days during thy days, and My
  distress and banishment in this remote prison.
  And be thou so steadfast in My love that thy
  heart shall not waver, even if the swords of the
  enemies rain blows upon thee and all the heavens
  and the earth arise against thee.

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• The Ancient Beauty hath consented to be bound
  with chains that mankind may be released from its
  bondage, and hath accepted to be made a prisoner
  within this most mighty Stronghold that the whole
  world may attain unto true liberty. He hath
  drained to its dregs the cup of sorrow, that all
  the peoples of the earth may attain unto abiding
  joy, and be filled with gladness. This is of the
  mercy of your Lord, the Compassionate, the Most
  Merciful. We have accepted to be abased, O
  believers in the Unity of God, that ye may be
  exalted, and have suffered manifold afflictions,
  that ye might prosper and flourish. He Who hath
  come to build anew the whole world, behold, how
  they that have joined partners with God have
  forced Him to dwell within the most desolate of
  cities!
•  

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• Every effort was made by two powerful courts-
  those of the King of Iran and the Ottomon
  Emperor- to oppose Bahaullah and His Teachings,
  but the Light of Truth is not easily
  extinguished- the very water that is poured on
  this fire to put out its flame turns into oil and
  the fire burns with more intensity nothing could
  be done to stop Bahaullahs growing influence
  the farther the authorities banished Him, the
  greater the number of people who were attracted
  to His Teachings and recognized His Power and
  Majesty
• In spite of constant persecution, Bahaullah
  continued to reveal the Word of God for more than
  40 years He brought so much love and spiritual
  energy into this world that the final victory of
  His Cause is certain

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• Bahaullah passed away in 1892 His Shrine,
  which we consider the Holiest Spot on earth, is
  located near the city of Akka
• If I have them with me share pictures of the
  entrance of the Shrine and the gardens
  surrounding it describe my pilgrimage. 

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The Bab 

• All of the Manifestations of God have given Their
  Lives for the salvation of humanity- can have a
  conversation about the significance of the
  sufferings of the Manifestations of God Who,
  though All-Powerful, willingly accept afflictions
  so that we may be freed
•  Several years before Bahaullah proclaimed His
  Mission, God sent a special Messenger to announce
  His coming. This great Messenger took the title
  The Bab, which means the gate He was a gate to
  the knowledge of God and to a new era in human
  existence
• For six years He taught ceaselessly that the
  appearance of the new Manifestation of God was
  near and prepared the way for His coming. He
  told the people that they were witnessing the
  dawn of a new Age, the dawn of the Promised Day
  of God. He called upon them to purify their
  hearts from earthly vanities so that they could
  recognize Him Whom God would soon manifest

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• Thousands upon thousands of people accepted the
  Message of the Bab and began to follow His
  Teachings. But the government of Iran and the
  powerful clergy who ruled over the masses rose
  against Him.
• His followers were persecuted and large numbers
  were put to death. The Bab himself, at the age of
  31, was martyred by a regiment of soldiers who,
  at the orders of the government, suspended Him in
  a public square and opened fire on Him.
• Invite to listen to the penetrating the Words of
  the Bab, share two of His prayers

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• Is there any Remover of difficulties save God?
  Say Praised be God! He is God! All are His
  servants, and all abide by His bidding!
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• Say God sufficeth all things above all things,
  and nothing in the heavens or in the earth but
  God sufficeth. Verily, He is in Himself the
  Knower, the Sustainer, the Omnipotent.
•  

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• Many Bahais know especially this first prayer by
  heart and say it either aloud or mentally in
  times of difficulties. We can pause alittle and
  you can memorize it. It is really easy to do so.
• Following His martyrdom, the remains of the Bab
  were recovered by His followers and taken from
  place to place, always hidden from the enemies of
  the Faith. Finally they were transferred to
  Mount Carmel in the Holy Land.
• See the postcards of the Babs Shrine in Haifa
  and a few other Holy Places in that city and in
  Akka, which is across the bay.
• These twin cities are today the spiritual and
  administrative world center of the Bahai Faith-
  the spiritual center because it is here that the
  Shrines of the Bab and Bahaullah, as well as
  many other Holy Places, are located and the
  administrative center because the Seat of the
  supreme governing body of the Faith, the
  Universal House of Justice, is also on Mount
  Carmel.

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The Covenant of Bahaullah and the Station of
Abdul-Baha 

• The idea most central to our lives as Bahais is
  that we have entered into a Covenant with
  Bahaullah.
• In all other religions, after the passing of the
  Manifestation, His followers had thousands of
  disputes among themselves and, as a result, split
  the religion into many sects. The cause of
  disunity was sometimes the desire for leadership
  of certain ambitious individuals. But, when
  differences of opinion arose between even sincere
  believers about what the Words of the
  Manifestation meant, no one had been authorized
  by the Manifestation Himself to settle the
  disagreements, and this contributed to conflict
  and dissension. Each set of interpretations led
  to the creation of a new sect
• Bahaullah has protected His Faith against such
  division by endowing it with a unique power, the
  power of the Covenant.

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• Before His passing, He stated in the clearest
  terms, in writing (in the Kitab-i-Aqdas), that
  after Him, all Bahais should turn to
  Abdul-Baha. Abdul-Baha was thus named the sole
  Interpreter of His Words and the Center of His
  Covenant. He had been raised by Bahaullah
  Himself, had recognized His Station even as a
  child, and had shared the sufferings of His
  Father. He was a most precious gift given to
  humanity, the Perfect Exemplar of all Bahai
  Teachings
• Abdul-Baha lived on this earth for 77 years. He
  was born on the same night the Bab declared His
  Mission in 1844 and passed away in November 1921.
  His life was filled with affliction, but to
  everyone who entered His presence He brought the
  greatest joy and happiness. After the passing of
  His Father, the responsibility for the Bahai
  community fell on His shoulders, and He labored
  day and night to spread the Faith throughout the
  East and the West.
•  

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• Abdul-Baha lived on this earth for 77 years. He
  was born on the same night the Bab declared His
  Mission in 1844 and passed away in November 1921.
  His life was filled with affliction, but to
  everyone who entered His presence He brought the
  greatest joy and happiness. After the passing of
  His Father, the responsibility for the Bahai
  community fell on His shoulders, and He labored
  day and night to spread the Faith throughout the
  East and the West.

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• He wrote thousands of Tablets to individuals and
  groups everywhere and clarified the Teachings of
  His Father. His interpretations are now an
  essential part of the Writings of the Bahai
  Faith
• By focusing on Abdul-Baha as the Center of
  Bahaullahs Covenant, the Bahais of the world
  remain united in their efforts to live a Bahai
  life and to create a new civilization. We
  remember that as part of our promise to
  Bahaullah, we are to love one another and, in
  Abdul-Baha, we see the perfect example of on
  who loves. We remember that we must uphold
  justice, that we must be generous, that we must
  overlook the faults of others, and from the
  example of Abdul-Baha we learn justice,
  generosity and forgiveness. More than anything
  else, by keeping our focus on Abdul-Baha, we are
  always aware of our covenant with Bahaullah
  that we will not allow the unity of His followers
  to be broken and that, united as a worldwide
  community, we will labor until the oneness of
  humankind has been firmly established

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• In His Will and Testament, Abdul-Baha named His
  grandson the Guardian of the Faith and after His
  passing, Shoghi Effendi became the authorized
  interpreter of the Teachings. For 36 years, he
  continued the work of His Grandfather, clarifying
  the Words of the Manifestation and firmly
  establishing His Faith in all parts of the
  planet.
• Five and a half years after his passing, the
  Bahais of the world elected the Universal House
  of Justice, as envisioned by Bahaullah (in the
  Kitab-I Aqdas and the Tablet of Carmel)and
  clearly described by Abdul-Baha (in His Will and
  Testament) and the Guardian. The Universal House
  of Justice is the supreme institution of the
  Faith to which all the Bahais of the world now
  turn.
• We can discuss Abdul-Baha in more depth at a
  later time when I can bring a few passages from
  Bahaullahs Book of the Covenant as well as the
  Will and Testament of Abdul-Baha so that we can
  read them together.

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The Laws that the Manifestation of God Brings to
Humanity 

• A most important aspect of every religion is the
  laws that the Manifestation brings to humanity in
  order to guide it to the right path. Some of
  these laws and commandments are eternal, other
  change as humanity progresses and evolves. In
  the Faith we are taught that we should not think
  of Bahai laws as a series of dos and donts.
•  
• Bahaullah tells us that His laws are the
  lamps of My loving providence among My servants,
  and the keys of My mercy for My creatures. Nor
  should we obey these laws out of fear of
  punishment, for He clearly has stated in His Most
  Holy Book Observe My commandments, for the love
  of My beauty.

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• the lamps of My loving providence among My
  servants, and the keys of My mercy for My
  creatures.
• Observe My commandments, for the love of My
  beauty.

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• These ideas will become clearer if we look at a
  few examples of Bahai laws. In the physical
  world, human beings have to eat every day. This
  is a requirement of the human body if we dont,
  we will get sick and quickly die. We can say,
  then, that eating daily is a law of physical
  existence which has to be obeyed. In the same
  way one of the commandments of Bahaullah is
  that we should pray every day. Like our body,
  our soul needs constant nourishment, and prayer
  provides the nourishment for our spiritual
  growth.
• There are many beautiful prayers revealed by the
  Bab, by Bahaullah and by Abdul-Baha which we
  can say when we are alone or recite in meetings.
  Some of these prayers are special, and some are
  obligatory.
• One obligatory prayer is recited by Bahais every
  days sometime between noon and sunset. Its a
  short and beautiful prayer. We can memorize it
  together if you like.

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• There are many beautiful prayers revealed by the
  Bab, by Bahaullah and by Abdul-Baha which we
  can say when we are alone or recite in meetings

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• The Short Obligatory Prayer
• Bahaullah gave us 3 prayers to choose from ,
  this short one and 2 others, one to be recited 3
  times a day, or a longer prayer which may only be
  recited once, anytime in 24 hours.
• I bear witness, O my God, that Thou hast
  created me to know Thee and to worship Thee. I
  testify, at this moment, to my powerlessness and
  to Thy might, to my poverty and to Thy wealth.
  There is none other God but Thee, the Help in
  Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
•  

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The Short Obligatory Prayer 

• I bear witness, O my God, that Thou hast
  created me to know Thee and to worship Thee. I
  testify, at this moment, to my powerlessness and
  to Thy might, to my poverty and to Thy wealth.
  There is none other God but Thee, the Help in
  Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
•  

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• In another commandment, Bahaullah prohibits
  backbiting and calumny. This is important
  because, if you think about it, one of the
  greatest enemies of unity is backbiting. And
  unfortunately, it has become an established
  practice among most of humanity to talk about
  other peoples faults in their absence.
  Everybody seems to be concerned with everybody
  elses shortcomings, which are made bigger and
  bigger as they are constantly mentioned.
  Abdul-Baha tells us to do just the opposite. If
  we see ten good qualities in someone and one
  fault, we should concentrate on the ten, and even
  if a person has ten faults and only one good
  quality we should focus on that one quality.
• Here is another favorite passage
•  

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• If we see ten good qualities in someone and one
  fault, we should concentrate on the ten, and even
  if a person has ten faults and only one good
  quality we should focus on that one quality.

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• O COMPANION OF MY THRONE!
• Hear no evil, and see no evil, abase not
  thyself, neither sigh and weep. Speak no evil,
  that thou mayest not hear it spoken unto thee,
  and magnify not the faults of others that thine
  own faults may not appear great and wish not the
  abasement of anyone, that thine own abasement be
  not exposed. Live then the days of thy life, that
  are less than a fleeting moment, with thy mind
  stainless, thy heart unsullied, thy thoughts
  pure, and thy nature sanctified, so that, free
  and content, thou mayest put away this mortal
  frame, and repair unto the mystic paradise and
  abide in the eternal kingdom for evermore.

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• Bahaullah also prohibits the drinking of
  alcohol and, of course, substance abuse.
  Drinking alcohol is really one of the greatest
  social ills that exists today in the world. It
  is one of the most common causes of violence and
  the ruin of healthy family life. To tell you the
  truth, I have never understood why people would
  take something that interferes with their minds
  and makes them lose their ability to think
  clearly. Drinking makes people capable of acting
  in shameful ways, when we have actually been
  created noble. Here is a beautiful quote from
  Bahaullahs Writings about nobility

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• Bahaullah also prohibits the drinking of
  alcohol and, of course, substance abuse.

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• O SON OF SPIRIT! I created thee rich, why dost
  thou bring thyself down to poverty? Noble I made
  thee, wherewith dost thou abase thyself? Out of
  the essence of knowledge I gave thee being, why
  seekest thou enlightenment from anyone beside Me?
  Out of the clay of love I molded thee, how dost
  thou busy thyself with another? Turn thy sight
  unto thyself, that thou mayest find Me standing
  within thee, mighty, powerful and
  self-subsisting.
•  

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• Another commandment of Bahaullah is about the
  obligation of parents and society to educate
  children. A short passage from Abdul-Bahas
  Writings explains this well.
• Therefore, the beloved of God and the
  maid-servants of the Merciful must train their
  children with life and heart and teach them in
  the school of virtue and perfection. They must
  not be lax in this matter they must not be
  inefficient. Truly, if a babe did not live at
  all it were better than to let it grow ignorant,
  for that innocent babe, in later life, would
  become afflicted with innumerable defects,
  responsible to and questioned by God, reproached
  and rejected by the people. What a sin this would
  be and what an omission! 

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• The first duty of the beloved of God and the
  maid-servants of the Merciful is this They must
  strive by all possible means to educate both
  sexes, male and female girls like boys there is
  no difference whatsoever between them. The
  ignorance of both is blameworthy, and negligence
  in both cases is reprovable. Are they who know
  and they who do not know equal?

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Conclusion- The Three Participants in the Work
of the Bahais of Building a World Civilization 

• 1. the Individual
• 2. the Community
• 3. the Institutions

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The Three Participants
Individual
Institutions
Community
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• I am sure you are aware that I am inviting you to
  join a religion and not just accept a collection
  of nice ideals. In fact, the Bahai Faith is a
  very organized religion whose aim is nothing less
  than the unification of the entire human race.
  It will be helpful for you to think of the work
  of the Bahais as the building of a world
  civilization. The Universal House of Justice
  tells us that there are three participants in
  this work, each with a very important role.
• The first participant is the individual believer.
  It is the duty of this individual to remain firm
  in the Covenant, to strive daily to bring his or
  her life in line with Bahaullahs Teachings,
  and to serve humanity, always conscious of the
  fact that life does not end with death and that
  ones relation with God is eternal. After death,
  our souls become free and continue to progress
  towards God for all eternity.
•  

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• It is the duty of this individual to remain firm
  in the Covenant, to strive daily to bring his or
  her life in line with Bahaullahs Teachings,
  and to serve humanity, always conscious of the
  fact that life does not end with death and that
  ones relation with God is eternal. After death,
  our souls become free and continue to progress
  towards God for all eternity.

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• Our lives here are very much like the life of an
  infant in the womb of the mother. For some nine
  months, the child develops faculties- eyes, ears,
  hands and so on- to be used later in this world.
  In the same way, we are to develop here the
  spiritual faculties that we need to progress in
  the other worlds of God. Of course, we do not
  achieve our purpose by just thinking about it.
  We have to work, serve our fellow human beings,
  and share the knowledge we gain with others.
• The second participant is the community. Human
  beings were not created to exist alone. We live
  in communities and must work together to build
  the new civilization. The community closest to
  us is the local one which consists of the Bahais
  of our village or town. It is in the local
  community where we learn to cooperate with one
  another, to grow together and become united.
•  

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• Human beings were not created to exist alone. We
  live in communities and must work together to
  build the new civilization. The community
  closest to us is the local one which consists of
  the Bahais of our village or town. It is in the
  local community where we learn to cooperate with
  one another, to grow together and become united.
  

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• In addition to being members of the local
  community, we are also members of the national
  community and then the worldwide Bahai community
  which is constantly expanding and attracting
  people from every religious background, race, and
  nationality.
• The Institutions of the Faith, the Universal
  House of Justice tells us, represent the third
  participant in the building of the new
  civilization. This is a subject which we will
  have to talk some more when we discuss the
  Covenant. For now, let me just mention that
  included in the commandments of Bahaullah are
  many related to the way society should be
  organized. In the past, Manifestations of God
  have not said much about how their followers
  should organize themselves and people have had to
  discover how to do this by themselves. But, in
  the case of the Bahai Faith, Bahaullah has
  brought His own Administrative Order, which means
  that He has told us what institutions we must
  create, how they should function, and how
  humanity should be governed.
•  

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• Bahaullah has brought His own Administrative
  Order, which means that He has told us what
  institutions we must create, how they should
  function, and how humanity should be governed.

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• We have already spoken about the supreme
  institution, which is the Universal House of
  Justice. In each country, Bahais elect once a
  year the National Spiritual Assembly, and in each
  locality, the Local Spiritual Assembly. This is
  the institution that you will get to know the
  soonest. There are no priests or clergy in the
  Bahai Faith, and it is the Local Spiritual
  Assembly that guides the affairs of the community
  and watches over the well-being of the individual
  believers. A Local Spiritual Assembly consists
  of nine members elected in a prayerful atmosphere
  by secret ballot by all the adult believers in
  the community. Spiritual Assemblies are
  extremely important to Bahais. Through them we
  learn how human affairs are to be administered
  and how a new order can be established in
  society, an order which is to be known as the
  World Order of Bahaullah.
• Gift of prayers. End by reading one or two
  prayers together.
•  

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• O SON OF SPIRIT!
• My first counsel is this Possess a pure, kindly
  and radiant heart, that thine may be a
  sovereignty ancient, imperishable and
  everlasting.

• O SON OF BEING!
• Love Me, that I may love thee. If thou lovest Me
  not, My love can in no wise reach thee. Know
  this, O servant.